Royal Park I Roveri: Allianz

The Allianz Course at Royal Park I Roveri originally opened in 1971, and has the honor of being Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s first design in Italy. Located just north of Turin, the course is situated on a property used as a hunting estate 500 years ago and meanders through the mature trees of La Mandria National Park at the foothills of the Alps. Previously paired with a par-3 course, Royal Park I Roveri transformed its second course into a Dana Fry and Michael Hudzan-designed championship layout in 2006 to better complement Jones’s design. Four-time host of the Italian Open from 2009 to 2012, the Allianz Course features classic Jones Sr. characteristics like tree-lined fairways visually shrunk by bunkers and small hazards, as well as green complexes with a variety of shapes creating intimidating angles for fairway approaches. The difficult par-4 17th represents a perfect microcosm of the course, with a fairway split by a creek forcing a difficult decision off the tee, followed by a wide but narrow green protected by bunkers. While Jones’ challenging design is truly magnificent, it feels second in importance to the serenity and picturesque nature of the property, dramatically framed by the Alps throughout.